The Heart's Darkness
by Meatt
Summary: The time has come for Yuuko to stop running from her past. How can someone deal with sixty years of repressed memories, emotions, and questions? How deep can someone's hatred go when it comes to a loved one? (Present Tense Fiction)
1. Family Reunion

**A/N: I do not own these characters or the story's world. This fanfiction is based off of the original work of the series creator Maybe **

Multi-colored lightning illuminates the lush, green school landscape as the setting sun makes contact with the top of the distant mountains. Shadows from the school gates crawl slowly and steadily towards the buildings in conjunction with the demise of the school day. The blaring of the school bell ripples through the quiet evening air, signifying the release of the remaining students remaining inside of their torturous prison. In several moments, the sound of laughter and the patter of feet erupt into the school yard as the last of the students are spewed from the buildings innards, relishing their freedom.

"It was a pleasure meeting you today, Ms. Kanoe!" the principal says formally, bowing to the woman in the seat.

Her fragile hands constrict around the arms of the chair as she hoists herself out of her seat.

"It was a pleasure meeting you as well, Mr. Nakamura," she says, bowing her head in response to the other person, "Thank you for bringing this to my attention." She outstretches her hand to retrieve her cane, which is propped against the chair next to her. Upon retrieving her trusty aid, she turns her back to the principal and slowly removes herself from the office.

"I don't understand," she finally thinks to herself after firmly closing the wooden door behind her, "I just don't understand."

Out of the corner of her eye, the reason for her journey to the school props herself up against the wall, using her foot to propel herself away from it repeatedly.

"You should try to get along with the other children, Kirie."

Kirei's arms are quickly thrust up to her chest as she stares out of the foggy windows in front of her, her mind very distant.

"I'm sorry, grandmother Yukariko," she says, not breaking her glance from the semi-transparent glass. The weight of Yukariko's hand results in the young woman pouting her lips and shrinking her eyes. "You know, I hate when you do that."

Breaking a sly smile across her face, she rubs the girl's black hair even faster.

"You know, I hate having to come here when I don't have to," she says, lightly pushing the younger girl in the opposite direction, "Wait for me out by the gate, I'm just going to the roof for a bit to get some fresh air."

"Okay, but if you aren't there in fifteen minutes, I'm coming back to drag you home," Kirie warns, turning and walking away.

"That girl can be a handful, sometimes," the elderly woman says to herself as she begins walking in the opposite direction.

The evening light penetrates the surrounding glass, illuminating the hallway floor and causing the wooden planks to appear as though the pattern adorning them is a walkway leading her to magical destination. After what seems like minutes, Yukariko opens a door concealing a stairway that leads upwards. Echoes of her footsteps bounce off the enclosed corridor as she carefully ascends the metal staircase. After completing her timeless ascent of the stairs, she is greeted with another door that will grant her access to her destination. Wrapping her fingers around the cold, hard knob, Yukariko turns the instrument and exits the building only to be welcomed with the vibrant mixture of colors adorning the top of the western school building rooftop. The evening colors dance in her eyes as beautiful as ever, drawing her ever closer to the source like a moth to a flame. Yukariko's advance is halted by the hard feeling of the metal railing skirting the edge of the building's perimeter. The evening's spectacle forces the woman's head to survey the surrounding areas of the school. Warm metal heats her hands as she constricts her fingers around the object in the excitement of what she's seeing. Contentment sneaks it's way into the woman's heart as the warmth of the setting sun penetrates her skin, energizing her frail body. As the last of the school's occupants make their way to the front gate, Yukariko's eyes notice a young woman with black hair accompanied by a smaller girl and another boy. To her amazement, the taller girl turns around and stares at her while waving her hands. The elder woman raises her hand to wave back at the young one as she sees the stopping threshold to the outside world.

"That girl," the elder woman whispers to herself, "I suppose I have been here long enough, though."

Casting her gaze back up at the evening sky, she takes a final glance at the magnificent view in front of her before removing her firm grip from the railing she's been holding onto, beginning her trek to meet up with her troublesome granddaughter. As she progresses closer to the door, her steps steadily decrease in speed, a sudden feeling that she is being watched injecting itself into her. Knowing this feeling oh-too-well, Yukariko slowly turns her head to gaze back at the area of the roof she had just occupied. Her vision is greeted by by the image of a shadowy figure standing in her place at the edge of the roof. The entity's body is as black as the night itself, but she can just make out the ghostly pale appendages it possesses, the murderous eyes the color of the darkest garnet, the mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth that could tear through anything, and the midnight colored hair fluttering wildly in the wind, like living snakes. It takes her only a moment of examining the creature before the warm and serene feeling that Yukariko once held completely disintegrates, quickly replaced with that of a sinking darkness and itching fear. The evening wind pushes past Yukariko, causing her clothing to jump violently in the wind, but the being in front her stands perfectly still, her hair dancing like wildfire behind her. The two faceoff with each other in silence, neither willing to make the first move. Time inches as the two swap glances, but neither of the two utters a word. With silence emanating from both parties, Yukariko begins to returns to her quest to meet up with Kirie.

"No words to say to you dearly-departed sister," the wavering being says with a slight tint of anger in her voice.

Yukariko slowly turns back around to face the being addressing her.

"We've notice each other every time I come here. Why do you decide to speak to me out of the blue," she asks with a mixture of enthusiasm and curiosity.

"I wish I could enjoy the warmth of the sun on my soft skin on this rooftop like we used to, but I guess that's the price of love, right sister?"

The daunting silence between the two individuals ensues again, the words delivered by the shadow stabbing the other woman in her heart. They cause her enthusiasm to slowly dissipate, and the uneasiness in her stomach begins to worsen. She gulps despite herself.

"Are you here to mock me… torment me further?!" she ask, her words rippling through the air.

"Why would I do that?" the figure asks with a slight grin on her face.

The two stands in utter silence once again, cool breezes appearing and disappearing in succession to cut through the next moments of silence between the two. Irritation and gloom slowly climbs from the depths of the Yukariko as she readies herself for her next question, watching the thing across from her take enjoyment out of the awkward situation that the two are currently placed in. It makes her angry, almost.

"Why don't you just kill me already?!" she yells, tears falling freely from her eyes, "You know that's what you want!"

The image of the creature wavers as she slowly disappears and reappears. Then her arms reach away from Ms. Kanoe.

"You of all people should know I won't do that," the blackened figure answers as it cocks its head and glances at her more sinisterly, "Why would you be so cruel as to even suggest I do something like that?"

Fear suddenly rears its head as Yukariko stares at the shadow, and her arms begin to tremble like leaves in the wind.

"What do I have to do to make you happy? Please Yuuko… just tell..."

As the last of her words are trying to escape her mouth, she briefly catches her breath as the being thrusts her arm into her chest. Yukariko's eyes widen in surprise at the sudden jolt of sensations flooding into her being. Her knees begin to buckle under the feeling of hot knives digging their way up and down her lower extremities, head, and back. Her nostril flare violently as the smell of decay, blood, and other nauseating scents infiltrate her sinuses and ravage her sense of smell. An even more sinister smile spreads across Yuuko's face as she can feel Yukariko's body spasm and her heart race to dangerous speeds. Not wanting to overdo herself, she slowly removes her hand from inside of the elderly woman, causing her to stop convulsing and hold herself up by her hands on the rooftop.

"Please Yuuko… just let me… help you" Yukariko pleads, her breath wavering as her voice trembles.

Yuuko turns her back to the recovering woman and begins to speak darkly.

"With family like you, who needs enemies, little sister?" Yuuko spits, "I think you've helped me enough for one lifetime."

The rooftop door flies open with a frantic Kirie emerging from it. As quickly as she came through the door, her footsteps halt as fear instantly shoots through her. The black hairs on her body stand up like a cat's as she stares into the two eyes of Yuuko. Neither being makes a move until Yuuko fades from existence, letting Kirie sink to the ground with her heart about to explode from its home in her chest.

TO BE CONTINUED…


	2. Iron Resolve

The sun's murderous light violates Yukariko's eyes as her gaze focuses on the ceiling, following a very forgettable night of sleep. The silence of the room is disturbed as her feet come in contact with the solid, wooden floor. Opening the closest, she thumbs through the various outfits, unable to fully decide on which one to choose for the day. Deciding to leave it up to the fate, she closes her eyes and blindly picks one. Satisfied with a random dress, she puts it on and heads down the stairs to begin her basic morning routine. Upon entering the kitchen area, however, she notices Kirie sitting at the table, watching her as she walks into the room. There's a scrubbing sound as a chair's wooden leg rubs a full circle against the kitchen floor, until finally Yukariko places herself in her seat and begins her morning ritual with her granddaughter.

"How are you doing this morning, grandmother?" Kirie asks politely, swallowing a piece of her meal.

The younger woman's eyes pierce her grandmother's face while she continues to feast on the food in front of her. A deafening silence plagues the Kanoe household for several moments before Kirie once again decides to break it apart.

"What happened at the school yesterday?"

The rhythmic motion of Yukariko's mouth stops as she glances over at her granddaughter's serious eyes. She seems to consider it for a moment, but then finally decides its best not to answer her question at all. She just sits there in silence as Kirie continues.

"You were talking to Yuuko, weren't you?" Kirie asks, recalling the moment she barged onto the scene at the rooftop. Her heart skips a beat as the terrifying memory bursts into her brain. Her arms rattles uncontrollably as she remembers the way Yuuko's murderous eyes bored through her body, the enveloping aura of malice she possessed, and those razor sharp teeth that glinted so horribly in the dim lighting.

"Yes," Yukariko answers, standing up from the table so quickly its obvious she doesn't want to continue the conversation. "You should stay away from her; this has nothing to do with you."

The force of her hand slamming onto the table sends a shockwave through the kitchen area, resulting in a minuscule amount of her food being emptied onto the furniture. Skid marks adorn the floor as her chair screeches across parts of the wood, in unison with her standing up.

"What is it that she wants? I know she was your sister, and I know that you miss her, but we need to send her on her way before she escalates more or even kills someone."

"Don't you think I've tried making amends, Kirie? Nothing I've done has changed how she feels about me. Now can we just drop it?"

Kirie bites her lip and continues to try and talk some sense into her elder.

"If she's unwilling to forgive you for whatever it is she thinks you did, why don't you give her a proper burial and send her spirit on her way?"

Yukariko looks surprised as the words on her granddaughters lips hit her ears. She had always hoped that she would be able to atone to her sister by giving her what she wanted, instead of just attempting to force her from this world.

"Did you not know that her body was in the school?" Kirie asks quietly, walking closer to try and catch a glimpse of her grandmother's face.

"Have a nice day at school, Kirie," the older woman says, trying to drop the subject, and begins to walk back up stairs.

Kirie groans and stops her pursuit of the woman. Instead, she kicks the leg of the table in frustration.

"Yuuko….."

* * *

The winding road leading to the school radiates with energy as the children journey towards the building, willing and ready to begin their new day.

"Teiichi!" someone shouts from behind him, catching his attention.

Recognizing that the voice could only belong to one person, he decides to postpone his sentence for a few minutes today and meet with the girl that is steadily walking towards him.

"Good morning, Kirie. I hope you're doing well today," Teiichi says, giving his senior student a warm smile.

"I'm doing well," she says, giving him a stern stare, "I'm going to go straight to the point, Teiichi. We need to do something about Yuuko. That shadow of hers is beginning to become an issue."

"What do you mean?"

"Yesterday after school, the shadow attacked my grandmother on the rooftop when we were at the school gate."

"Are you sure about that? I don't remember seeing anything like that when we were there."

"It wouldn't surprise me, seeing how you and Yuuko were both all over each other like usual, but yes. I'm sure. I went to check it out and came face to face with it again."

Teiichi takes the woman's word to heart, but still feels a little uneasy about this.

"I don't want to sound rude or anything, but you don't have anything against Yuuko, do you?

The taller of the duo looks down at the boy with a straight face and a serious demeanor.

"The problem I have is that she's an evil spirit. One who's still here for who-knows-what reason but can't, or doesn't want to, remember why."

"Kirie, you make it sound like she's secretly going around killing babies or something. Yuuko hasn't done anything wrong, and she's your family for, god's sake! Don't you think you should cut her some slack?"

"By letting that thing run around, she's purposely putting people at risk of getting hurt, if not killed!"

Teiichi looks at the ground at this statement, not having ammo to argue against it.

"I won't claim to understand what you're going through with her, but I will also do whatever I can to stop her if need be. My grandmother is all I have, and I'm not going to let anything happen to her."

The boy lets out a small sigh as the two approaches the school gate. His foot pounds the ground as a white light flashes before his eyes.

"Damn it, I have class duty today, he says, "I'll talk to you later, Kirie." Then he breaks off from her, and enters the building, and is gone.

* * *

Morning light infiltrates the inhabited room of the Paranormal Investigation Club, pummeling the ghost president in her pupils, as she walks up to the window, casting her gaze across the crowded yard. Like ants, she notices the students file into the mouth of the beast like each one does every morning. Her fingers rip up the traces of dust from the window pane as she slides her pale fingers across various parts, in random patterns.

_I wonder where Teiichi is._

No sooner has she thought that, however, than the knob to the Paranormal Investigation Club's room starts to jiggle. After doing a full rotation, the old, wooden door creaks open to reveal a figure.

"Teiichi!" Yuuko exclaims with a giant smile on her face, but it quickly disappears as she notices that the person in front of her isn't Teiichi at all.

"He won't be coming by until later," she says, closing the door behind her.

A gust of breath escapes Yuuko's carnation lips as an audible thud emits from between the collision windowpane and her forehead. Kirie's eyes bore holes into the side of Yuuko's face as the two of them stand in the abyssal silence that has set up camp in the club room.

"I'm curious, Yuuko," Kirie begins, still staring at the girl with her serious look, "What is your purpose for being here? What are you trying to accomplish?"

A small forehead print is left on the window pane as Yuuko turns to face the extremely serious Kirie Kanoe. Yuuko delivers unto her the warmest smile she possesses.

"For my beloved Teiichi, of course!"

The collision of hand-to-face contact echoes on the walls of the club room as Kirie slides her palm down her forehead.

"No, you dope, why are you in our world? Ghosts are only in this world when they have strong emotional attachments to someone or something and won't let go. You keep saying that you don't have anything like that, but you obviously must, or do you need to ask that shade of yours?"

Her index finger leaves a small trail of dust on her skin, but the sight of the boards on the ceilings assist Yuuko in her thought process.

"I don't have any of those. I'm just here. I spend my time with Teiichi and the club. Also, I don't know what you mean by 'ask that shade.'"

"Grrrrr…..Then tell me why you have been bothering my grandmother for all of these years?"

It's as if a big rig rounds into her blind spot and rams into her. Yuuko stares at Kirie with her head cocked to the side in surprise and confusion.

"Your grandmother? I don't know what you mean."

A thunderous impact rips through the air as Kirie's hands firmly presses down on the tabletop in the closest proximity to Yuuko's position.

"I saw that shadow of yours on the rooftop with my grandmother yesterday, and it attacked her," she says, giving off her fakest of smiles, "So naturally I'm quite peeved. Be a dear and answer my question, if you don't mind. Now I'll ask you again… what business do you have with my grandmother?"

Removing her glance from the now-fuming female across from her, focusing it onto the now-empty front lawn, question marks still dance around her head in confusion. Yuuko face still has that same bewildered look.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she says in her normal voice as she caresses the window pane with her hand.

The explosion of an object slamming against the adjacent wall forces Yuuko's eyes to focus on the young woman inside the room with her, and she notices that the prop skull that was on the edge of the desk a moment ago is now resting on the floor.

"You need to get your act together, Yuuko. You and that shadow of yours don't belong here."

Her eyes zero in on the young woman by the window as if she was going in for a kill.

"Also, why do you continue to torture Teiichi with this charade of yours, anyway? It's not fair to him."

"What charade? I lov…."

"Stop please…"

The small laughter that Kirie releases interrupts Yuuko's attempt to answer her question. "I know… I know… you love him, right? In case you haven't realized, you're a ghost, and a lonely one at that."

The venom drips thickly off of those words, enough so that Yuuko can't think of how to reply.

"How is my grandmother related to you?" Kirie muses, shaking her head. The two women both stare at each other, only silence and the sounds of breath communicating between the two of them. Kirie finally turns her back to the girl and prepares to leave the room.

"Who are you…" the soft-spoken ghost begins. Kirie turns back around to face the woman attempting to speak to her, her glistening eyes and white skin similar to her own. "Who are you to tell me about my love?"

A giant mirror appears in the background of her mind. Two women can be seen in front of it, and one is having a comb run through her long, black hair.

"You sit there and spout how much you love Teiichi, but you can't even love yourself," she says, turning her back to the ghost and making her way to the exit, "Oh yeah, and I'll warn you just this once. If you lay another finger on my grandmother, we are going to have some serious issues, Yuuko."

The stinging sensation coming from Yuuko's lip as she bites down on them does not concern her in the least, and her fisted hands tremble alongside the words given to her by her club-mate. Her chest bursts into flames as she feels as though the words that Kirie delivered bombarded everything that she had felt in that moment. All alone within the club room, she stands in the middle of the space and lets the fiery sting of defeat roll down her cheeks, and the words of knowledge raid her heart.

* * *

The clouds crawl across the vast blue sky. Yuuko stares at them to pass the time before Teiichi appears at their traditional meeting place for lunch. Like clockwork, the door opens and from it emerges the second member of the club, here to enjoy a relaxing lunch with his friendly ghost.

"Teiichi!" the young woman screams as she catapults herself onto him.

The blazing cement seers his back as he lands on it and releases a whimper, but he's able to hide it from the beautiful girl who decided to throw herself on him.

"Yuuko," he says as the colors radiating from her marvelous orbs attempt to steal his soul away.

"I missed you this morning," she replies, maneuvering closer to the face and attempting to put a spell on him.

"I missed you too, Yuuko," he answers, caressing her pale, soft cheek. After a moment, he gives her a sheepish smile and mutters, "I like the affection, but I'm really hungry."

All the blood runs to his face, however, as her supple breasts drag their way across his chest. Dust flies off his clothes and his hand forcibly knocks away the dirty material that has accumulated on his school uniform. With the need to ingest something, he notices that his ghostly friend has taken refugee next to a large vent stack that is located in the middle of the rooftop. The gesturing hand waves were enough of an invitation, not that he needed one, to guide himself over to her. His fingers grip the outer area of the container, and with applying little force, opens the container to release a barrage of different smells into both of their nostrils.

"That looks great," she quickly says as the sounds of her hands clasp together and starts radiate in her eyes.

His chopsticks click together as he snags the first bit of food in his container. The mouth of his female companion opens wide as he carefully floats the food up to her face and depositing the contents into her orifice. The heavy squeal that departs from her as the tasty morsels ignite her taste buds causes a warm smile to creep over his face. Her hands intertwine with his, suggesting that it is her turn to airplane the food into his face. Repeating the motions he initially followed, she lifts the food up to his face, but as she focusses more on his depressed and downtrodden facial expression, the food makes a soft landing back in the container and her attention is focused only on him.

"Are you okay, Teiichi?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I guess I must be tired," he replies, giving a half-hearted laugh.

A burst of air leaves her lips and she repositions herself in front him. Sitting on her knees, she stares deeply into his eyes and begins again.

"Spill it. What's wrong?"

Yuuko could feel the uneasiness in Teiichi's build as he squirms in front of her. His eyes want to drift into other portions of his vision, but with her so close to him it is nearly impossible without her noticing. Beads of sweets formulate on his forehead as he swallow and begins to speak.

"It's just…..I've just been thinking about our time together and how much we've been through, you know? I always wish that it never has to end."

Yuuko's facial muscles go to work, resulting in her making a slight frown and causing Teiichi to second guess what he had just said.

"It doesn't have …"

"But after you've finished your wish, you'll fade away, won't you?" he asks, interrupting her ability to finish the previous statement.

Sliding her hand across to his, she wraps their fingers together and gives him the warmest smile she can muster up.

"Why are you so caught up on that? If you just focus on us, we don't have to worry about my past or any of that stuff. It's not important."

"We do have to worry about that," he says, shaking his head. "You've been wandering these grounds for so long and I want to help you understand yourself. For your sake."

Teiichi can feel his hand slowly being lowered, until it's resting on his lap. The almond-eyed woman stares at him with eyes that appear as though the levy could break at any time, and she chokes up a little.

"Why…why does it matter so much that I learn about my past? Are you not happy with staying by my side? Is it because I'm not flesh and blood like those other girls?"

"It's not like that. I love everything about you, but you can't keep running from your past, regardless of the reason."

Yuuko falls back onto the concrete and stares up at the sky like before Teiichi arrived at the rooftop. The passing clouds seemed to have picked up speed with the increase of the wind, and now they race from one part of the sky to the next in hopes of victory in a never-ending race. The young man watches and she places her hands over her eyes as if trying to hide something.

"I'm sure… as long as you're with me, we'll be able to accomplish it. Right, Teiichi?"

"Of course," Teiichi says, reassuring the girl of her words.

The boy's mood decreases as his vision goes from his lovely companion to his container of food. His memory from this morning's meeting with Kirie weighs on him like a sack of bricks. Shifting his glance back to his girlfriend, he notices that she has yet to reposition herself.

_I hope I'm doing the right thing._

* * *

The school bell rings once again, releasing the remainder of the students from its clutches, and slowly draws down. Teiichi and Yuuko are the last one in the hallway, with Kirie following not too far behind. The duo exits the build, but just as Kirie is about to get to the exit, the sudden sensation of something or someone grabbing a hold of her shoulder causes her to halt. Kirie could feel the grip around her begin to tighten, and as it does these weird sensation and smells begin to spring up. The more it digs into her the more she begins to be overwhelmed with the a pungent smell, along with the feeling that someone is jabbing razors into her body.

"Ah….." she lets out, propping herself up on the wall, "I know… it's you…"

She tries to see around herself out of the corner of her eye, but it's useless. The pain in her body feels like a fire that's constantly growing inside of her as she clutches onto the wall harder.

"You should learn to be more respectful to your elders, you ungrateful child," she says, lightening the grip around the teens shoulder and then disappearing.

Teiichi notices that the taller teen isn't with him anymore and turns around to notice that she is slumped against the wall. Changing direction of his movements, he begins walking back to her. As he arrives closer to the doorway she is slowly straightening herself up and turns around.

"Are you okay?" he asks as she still straightens herself up, glancing at her pained expression.

"I'm okay, Teiichi. It was that damn Yuuko again."

A white hand extends towards the injured teenager to assist her down the school's steps. Kirie glances at the helpful hand and then up at Yuuko's face. Like shooing a fly, Kirie aggressively moves Yuuko's hand out of the way.

"No thanks," she says, holding her shoulder while taking each step with caution, obviously still recovering from the recent attack.

"Why?" she asks herself as Kirie crosses the boundary to the outside world.

* * *

The front door slides open, revealing Kirie Kanoe's return to the Kanoe house. Her shoes bang against the wall as she kicks them off of her feet, causing a loud bump after dropping her school bag.

"I'm home, grandma!" she yells, rotating her arm and getting rid of the last bit of pain that is left in it.

Yukariko pokes her head around the corner of the kitchen and gives the young woman a small smile.

"How was your day, dear?" she asks while the sounds of frying occupy the kitchen.

"It was going well until I had the misfortune of seeing that eye sore," she says, adorning a disgusted facial expression while stroking her shoulder again. "I wish she would just go to hell or wherever it is she's trying to escape fr..."

A loud smack echoes through the house as Yukariko's hand fires into her granddaughter's face.

"Don't you ever let me here you say that again," she shoots at her with a taste of malice in her voice.

Kirie just stands there, in disbelief that her grandmother just hit her with such force. It is the worst one she'd ever given her since they'd known each other. Her face pulsates as multiple thoughts run through her head, staring at the woman's furious features.

"I'm sorry, grandmother," she says, looking down at the floor, "I crossed the line on that one."

"It's okay, just go and get ready for dinner. We're having your favorite tonight."

TO BE CONTINUED…


	3. Date Night

_She didn't have to be so rough with her,_ Teiichi thinks to himself, watching the image of Kirie shrink as she progresses beyond his range of vision. His eyes scan past the barren school yard and he notices the beautiful young woman standing next to him, holding his hand. The puppy-dog expression that she's exhibiting is just too much, and it causes him to place his hand on his head.

_I can't leave her like this_, he thinks, taking his cell phone from his pocket.

A couple of beeps escape the device's speaker before the boy puts it up to this ear. It rings multiple times until a woman's voice blares through.

"Good evening, Mom," he says, getting her attention, "Do you mind if I spend the night with a friend tonight?"

Teiichi's eyes circle around in his head as he goes back and forth with his mother about his sudden plan of action.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. I love you, too," he says firmly, shutting his cell phone and placing it back in his pocket.

"I hope you have a great time with your friend," the woman beside him says with a smile, before turning her back to him and proceeding to walk up the stairs.

"I'm sure I will, because she's standing right here," he responds cooly, which halts her ascension.

Yuuko's eyes brim over with tears as she launches herself on him. The full force of her body hits him as his legs strain, attempting to keep their weight upright. Though his lower body is able to support both their weight, his upper body is no match for the powerful embrace that threatens to bring him to tears.

"I'm sorry…" she says, removing her arms from around him.

"It's okay," he reassures her while his body is recovering from her onslaught, "Well, we have all night to do whatever we want. What is it that your heart yearns to do with me?"

The purple and orange colors being pushed out of the heavens create a true scene of wonder. Yuuko decides to take advantage of it as she bends forward, her cat-like eyes giving him a playful grin.

"There's plenty my heart yearns to do with you, Teiichi," she says, rubbing her index finger slowly and softly under his chin. She turns around, taking each step elegantly and slowly swaying her hips. Once reaching the top, she turns her head and blows him a kiss before continuing inside the building.

_What am I getting myself into? _Teiichi thought to himself, slowly shaking his head at his own foolishness.

Yuuko and Teiichi find themselves scaling the winding path of Kaede Hill for their first activity. The darkened shrubbery moves on its own, as though mysterious figures are treading the path with them. The mysterious sounds of animals in the vegetation cause Teiichi to look periodically over his shoulder.

"I don't remember… this hill being so much trouble before," he says, wiping the sweat from his face for the third time that night.

"You're just out of shape, Teiichi," he hears Yuuko say as she dances circles around him, all while he slouches over and breathes erratically.

"You're... a gho….st of course…"

At that moment, before the boy can finish his statement, the sound of Teiichi's body pounding the earth injects itself into Yuuko's ear.

The rhythmic rise and fall of his chest as he lies collapsed on the ground is enough to make the young woman release a chuckle. With her hands behind her back, she circles the recovering boy like a predator, before planting herself on the ground next to him. Yuuko's heart dances happily as she hears the crickets chirping in the distance, the wind rustling the leaves around them, and the labored breathing of her club-mate.

"What do you like most about me, Teiichi?"

His labored breathing slows down as Yuuko's questions bounces around in his head. He focuses his eyes upwards to the gleaming stars as if they would give him the correct answer to that question.

"There's never a dull moment with you," he answers, still getting his breathing under control.

"What do you hate the most about me?" she asks, almost instantaneously and enthusiastically.

He didn't expect the next question to come as fast as it did. He remains silent as he tries to come up with an answer to the intended question.

"There's nothing I hate about you."

She releases a sigh from her carnation lips in regards to Teiichi's answer. Yuuko turns herself on her side, propping her head up with her arm and wrist. Now, her eyesight is strictly on him.

"Be honest with me, here. Everyone has something they don't like about someone else."

The sweat begins to form on his head again, not wanting to think badly about his ghostly friend. At the best time, a light bulb appears in his mind just as his hand removes the sweat from his dirty face.

"I hate that you're stuck here on the school grounds," he delivers, a smile on his face. "There's so much you aren't able to experience."

_I suppose it was asking too much of him_, Yuuko thinks, rolling her eyes.

"I'm sure one day I will be able to leave this place," she replies.

Her eyes take in the spectacular dazzling of the stars, the rolling clouds, and the flicking of the fireflies above them as the lay on the ground. She steals a glance at Teiichi and notices that his eyes are closed. Her fingers snake their way across the warm, rocky ground, aiming to connect to his, but just before their fingers touch he shoots upwards, holding his face.

"Stupid ants!"

Yuuko releases another sigh, seeing her plan to touch him was interrupted. Using her hand to propel herself from her resting place, she knocks off the bit of dirt that her clothes picked up from the earthy ground. Satisfied with her work, she extends her hand to Teiichi.

"I guess you should have known better than to try and sleep on the ground with nothing to lie on."

Like usual, her hand is warm to the touch, and it turns his face pink in surprise. Using her as an aid, he pulls himself upright only to be brought face-to-face with her. Hey eyes sparkle like jewels as the moonlight reflects off of them.

"Since we're both dirty, how about we take a swim?" she says, giving him a nice smile before pulling him down the hill.

Yuuko kicks off the remaining pieces of her undergarments before diving into the swimming pool. Her body penetrates the water with minimal splashes. Yuuko gives him an inviting wave as her head surfaces from under the water. His mouth drops as he watches how her body moves through the water, as if every motion costs her no energy at all, as if no amount of resistance is being applied to her.

"You should get in."

Taking a moment to consider it, he discards everything except for his boxers and dives into the manmade pond. Though smaller, his entrance into the pool causes the water to rage and disrupt the image of the reflected moon. The raven-haired girl gracefully swims towards her companion and drifts next to him. As Yuuko and Teiichi lie drifting amongst the midnight stars, the night's silence in unison with the light splash of the water, it all feels like a dream.

"What does it feel like? Being a ghost, I mean."

She closes her eyes and takes a small breath as her arms wave under the water. She suddenly hoists one from its watery prison and holds it upwards for her glimmering eyes to stare at.

"I feel like I did when I was alive, I guess. I have been interested in knowing if I can bleed or not."

"I don't think that's necessary. Even so, I'm still confused as to how I can touch you, smell you, and just... all the other interactions that we've had up until now."

"I'm not sure, either, but I'm sure there's more about me that you would find surprising," she says with a flirty grin.

Unable to determine if that last comment was genuine or an innuendo, he shakes his head and continues forward.

"Did you get to see what the after-life is like? Is it bright lights and naked people running around? "

"There was nothing like that from what I remember. I only remember staring at myself in the mirror in the club room," Yuuko says, letting out of a chuckle, "I'm sure I'll let you know how Hell or wherever I'm going is once I escape it."

"Don't talk like that!" he shouts instantly, "If someone like you deserves that fate then the world is doomed."

_It's nice to know that he can get riled up, _Yuuko thinks._ I'm sure he's going to make someone happy in the future._

"I'm sorry," she laughs, but her last comment left a sting inside his chest.

Like before, the silence of the night and the gentle sounds of the water envelop the two children.

"Do you know how to dance, Teiichi?"

"Not really. Why do you ask?"

"It's a surprise," she says, splashing water on him and giggling

The door explodes open as Yuuko and Teiichi come barreling onto the rooftop of the building. Yuuko's head snaps from left and right as she searches for a suitable place for the two of them to move around freely. With his hand in hers, she pulls the blonde over to the desired location before she releases custody of his appendage.

"Where did you find these outfits?" Teiichi asks, looking down at his formal black slacks, black vest, and white shirt.

"I found them in the theatre club. That group has quite the library of fancy and adorable objects.

After moments of picking at his costume, he finally looks up at his companion. His eyes are frozen as he stares at the young woman in front of him. The long black dress that she wears compliments her white skin. The thin, black straps that anchor around her shoulder, and the slight transparency of the dress, only add to its beauty. Suddenly, his heart speeds up as his eyes focus on her ample chest.

_She has a great body. Is she really fifteen?_

"How do you like it?"

Teiichi can hear the slush of his brain matter moving around in his cranium, every action she takes making him speechless. It's as if he's participating in a formal event with an A-List celebrity.

"You look fantastic."

The raven-haired Yuuko slowly advances towards him and bends over, sticking her hand out. Teiichi places his hand in hers and gives her a friendly smile.

"May I have this dance?"

He gives her a slight head nod and is pulled into her inviting body. She places both of her hands within his and begins to move her feet in a particular pattern. Due to Teiichi's lack of experience, he finds himself constantly stepping on the older woman's feet. Regardless of how often he messes up, she either encourages him to do better or just gives him a warm smile. Nearing the twenty minute mark, the two begin to decelerate from their intense dance session. As a gust of wind blow past them, they lock eyes with each other. However, Teiichi feels something is off when he notices the long face she has drawn.

"What's wrong, Yuuko?"

The taller of the two snaps out of her downcast expression.

"I'm just so happy right now. I've been putting thought into this, and I'm ready to learn about my past. I've looked back on all of the fun times we've had and I couldn't ask for anything else."

Teiichi's heart feels as though it has just been punched. He was not expecting her to change her mind about her past... even under these circumstances.

"Are you sure about this?"

Yuuko breaks her grip from Teiichi's hand and wraps her slender arms around his frame.

"Yes, I'm sure, but you have to be there with me. I don't want to be left alone afterwards."

"I'm sure I can do that," he says, wrapping his arms around her in return.

Teiichi's head twists and turns as the grinding and loud talking interrupt his much-needed rest. His eyes are greeted by the wooden ceiling of the Paranormal Investigation club room. He removes his head off of his firm headrest and sits himself upright on what feels like the couch. The light of the window calls to his vision as he faces towards it. As he tries to focus on the window pane, he notices a figure beside him, and another figure across the room on the other couch. Removing his glasses, he rubs his eyes to improve his vision. Placing his glasses back to their respective place, he discovers his vision is exponentially better, as he can now determine what everything is. His eyes travel to the two figure that were in his vision from before. Kirie has a calm expression on her face. However, Yuuko has her eyes buried under her bangs.

"Good morning, ladies. Did something happen while I was asleep?"

Kirie positions her head on the back of the couch.

"Grandmother has decided to tear down this building and give Yuuko's body a proper burial."

TO BE CONTINUED…


	4. Acceptance

The sun's radiance permeates the window, entering the second floor of the Kanoe household. Yuuko's eyes glance out of the glass to look at the lush, green landscape beyond. It has been a day since her body was moved out of the academy and placed in her old room. The walls of the room are naked, the floor holds only a single dresser, and the air has no particular smell. The blissful chirping of the birds fills her ears as she focuses her attention on the massive Sakura tree next to a swing set.

Today's the day, she thinks to herself as she spins herself away from the window.

A grunt escapes her lips as her arms reach for the sky. The raven-haired girl begins her walk to the exit of her prison, and as she passes the corpse that lies in the middle of the room, she averts her eyes from its position. The door emits a smooth sliding sound as she pulls it open and shuts it easily behind herself. She examines both parts of the hallway to make sure that no one is coming before setting out. The upstairs corridor has no special marks or pictures on them; they are as bare as the walls in the room she just exited. Turning left, she tip-toes her way down the silent hallway, trying to minimize the amount of noise she outputs. Her feet cause the steps leading to the first floor to creak as her frame bears down each step. Upon reaching the first floor, she quickly looks up at the spacious living room. Flowers line up against the adjacent wall, with a picture frame that happens to be covered with black linen. Turning her attention away from the scene, she moves her way into the side hallway, which possesses the door to her escape. She opens the gate to her paradise and happily steps forward, closing it behind her.

It's so bright, Yuuko thinks, shielding her eyes from the invasive light of the sun.

Stepping off of the porch, her bare feet connect with each stone as she traverses the walkway into the backyard. As the fresh-morning air surrounds her, the white clouds sail through the open sky, and the warm breeze caresses her, a smile plasters itself upon the woman's face. When she arrived at her destination, she examines the swing set before placing her frame onto the wooden seat. She pushed herself off with her legs to build the momentum needed for the device.

"Hahahha!" Yuuko bursts out as the wind rips through her hair, her body rising and falling with the motions of the swing as she achieves greater heights.

The sudden burst of joy radiates from her chest as the smile on her face grows only wider and more childish. The time that she experiences seems to drag on forever. There are no thoughts about the past, the present, or the future. The young ghost is caught in this moment of childish delight.

"Can you please get off of that, Yuuko?" another woman's words hit her.

The juvenile smile on her face slowly begins to fade as the momentum of her swing decreases and her hair's dance dies down. She plants her feet on the ground, making her body come to a complete stop, and then focuses her attention on the woman standing next to her, staring at her like she committed a crime.

"Is there something wrong with me using the swing?"

"Yes, Yuuko," she says, folding her arms. "Do you ever think about the effects your actions have on people? What if my grandmother comes out here and sees this?"

"She could always come and talk to me, right?"

"She can't see you Yuuko. Even if you are a ghost, you can't go around doing whatever it is that you want. So with that in mind, could you please refrain from doing things that will make you stand out?"

Yuuko thrusts her attention upwards to the ever-moving clouds. Seeing them inch ever so slowly across the vast blue sea, she releases a deep sigh before removing herself from her seating place. Her hands brush against the back of her uniform, removing some of the filth that had come off of the wood. After completing that task, Yuuko begins her walk towards the door from whence she came.

"Thanks," Kirie throws out as she walks by her.

"Don't mention it," she replies blandly as the two women traverse the stone path.

The door closes behind the two as they enter together. The corridor is quiet as they proceed past the corner. That is, until Kirie almost leaps out of her skin at the slight motion of a shadow in the corner of her eye. An unaffected Yuuko glances back at the girl from the center of the room to see her holding her chest.

"You scared me, grandmother!" she says, lightly slapping her chest.

"I'm sorry about that. I thought I heard you talking to someone outside so I decided to come and check."

Kirie's eyes shift to Yuuko, and then back to her grandmother. Her heart slowly calms as she continues her conversation. She releases a slight chuckle before giving the woman her next statement.

"I wasn't talking to anyone. It must have been your imagination."

Yukariko cracks a smile due to the antics of her scary granddaughter, and begins to walk away from the girl before speaking again.

"Maybe I'm just getting old then; regardless, breakfast is ready so try not to be too long. I want to finish decorating the living room before noon."

Kirie gives Yukariko a serious expression after hearing her say those words.

"I understand that you want to bury her, but is this wake a good idea? How many people do you expect to come by? I'm sure most people in the village at this point in time either don't know who Yuuko is, or have forgotten about her altogether."

"I know that, but she deserves this much at least," she says, her facial expression saddening before turning her back to walk away. "I'll see you in the kitchen."

Kirie shifts her attention back to Yuuko as she stares at the pictures adorning the living area wall. Her eyes glance over pictures of her standing next to a man with glasses, a second picture consisting of Yuuko, the man from before, and two other women, and another picture of the younger girl standing next to a taller man, both with smiles on their faces.

"Who are these people?"

Kirie approaches the young woman staring up at the walls and stops beside her. Pointing towards the first picture she opens her mouth to answer.

"That's a picture of you and your dad." Moving her hand to the next picture she adds, "That's a picture of you, grandmother, and your parents." She moves her hand one more time. "The last picture is of grandmother and grandfather."

Yuuko's head drops to the side as she tries to recall anything of use in the photos. However, she can only shake her head.

"We all seem so happy," she says, still trying to unlock the secrets that are locked away in her mind.

Kirie stares at the girl's unmoving eyes from the side of her head before turning her back to her.

"I don't know what type of past you have Yuuko," she says as she begins to walk away, "But to go as far as to throw away even memories of your parents is disrespectful and you should be ashamed of yourself."

* * *

Yuuko's room lays silent for hours. Only the sound of her feet brushing against the wooden floor and chattering from the creatures outside keeps things lively. Yuuko sits in the corner, staring at the lump under the futon in the middle of the room, when a pair of red eyes materializes in front of the window directly across from her. Her head turns instinctively, the sight of the menacing eyes boring into her making her feel uncomfortable.

So disgusting, she thinks to herself.

The sun hits her counterpart, causing her shadow to project itself on the floor over the futon. The two women stare onward, as neither of them want to break the glass barrier between them. After multiple grueling moments of silence, Shadow Yuuko decides to throw the first stone.

"Why are you still hesitating?"

Yuuko remains silent as she concentrates on the body in the middle of the room. The calm in the atmosphere is crushing as Shadow Yuuko's irritation pushes her, trying to break through.

"What are you waiting for?"

"I will accept everything, but I will do it with Teiichi by my side," she says quickly, trying to quiet down her other half yet not breaking her glance from her corpse.

Shadow Yuuko's face adorns a smile, pleased to finally have gotten Yuuko to acknowledge her. The shadowy apparition places her hand on the transparent, clean glass and stares out into the backyard that the other Yuuko had visited. The fire inside the being's body calms ever so slightly at the thought of finally being able to rest.

"This has gone on for far too long," she says, placing her forehead on the window pane.

"I promise you'll only have to wait a little bit longer. Please stay out of trouble until then. "

Shadow Yuuko takes the girl's words to heart as she releases a small grunt and then fades away.

It feels like forever since her counterpart had disappeared. The prison's bland walls and stale activity begin to chip away at the chipper woman's personality.

I'm so bored, she thinks, standing up.

Her glistening eyes examine the one area of the room that has objects along the wall. The door in the corner seems to beckon to her, and due to the nature of her situation, she isn't going to refuse it. She makes her way over to it, and upon getting to the closet door, she quietly slides it open to reveal left-over school uniforms and night clothes hanging up on racks. The sounds of racks echo in the room as she moved them around. Looking on the floor, she notices a square box with the top taped shut. Bending down, she pulls the box out of the closet and removes the top. The papers are so delicate, feeling as if they will disintegrate when her hands rummages through them. After getting a couple of papers deep, her mind clicks and she realizes that the name 'Yuuko Kanoe' are on all of the papers, pictures, writings, and even a diary. She places her hand around the first book she can reach and pulls it out of the box. It's the diary. Flipping through the pages, she begins to become engrossed in the literature which she had acquired.

Just as she began the first entry, the door to the room slides open to reveal her warden with a plate in her hand and a box of juice. The young woman frowns as she notices the papers, pictures, and other documents littering the floor by the closet.

"You don't have to be so messy," she says, stretching her arms towards the girl and signaling for her to take what she brought her.

"Sorry," she says, never breaking her focus on the diary.

Kirie stares at the back of Yuuko's head while she focuses only on reading the material in her hand. She tries to be a bit considerate and give the girl time to turn around and acknowledge the kindness she is trying to display to her, but the waiting is beginning to wear her down. Kirie's frustration reaches its peak the moment her foot starts tapping on the floor, as if it has a mind of its own.

"Take this. Think of it as a last meal," she says, this time causing Yuuko to turn her attention towards the girl.

"Thanks," she says, taking the rations from the younger girl before turning back around and reading the diary.

Kirie turns to the leave the room when she comes face-to-face with Shadow Yuuko again. When her knees give way, the wooden floor absorbs the shock of her body smacking against it.

"I… should have known you were here, too," she says, shivering.

Shadow Yuuko stares at the shivering girl as she tries to gather the strength to stand up.

"I wonder if this is how it felt when she was looking down on me," Shadow Yuuko says, staring at the girl as though she is about to devour her soul.

"What are you talking about?"

"You are quite ignorant, aren't you?" she says, "I guess I can't blame her, I wouldn't want people to know my dirty secrets either," she says with a smirk before fading away.

What secret is she talking about, Kirie thinks, picking herself up from the floor.

Kirie turns her attention to Yuuko once again to realize that she hasn't moved an inch while that event was going on. She exits the room with no words spoken, living the sound of periodic page turns behind her.

* * *

That was scary, the girl thinks to herself while looking down at her trembling hands.

Kirie has just finished drinking a glass of water when she notices her grandmother enter the kitchen space. The young woman's mind races as to whether or not she should pry into her grandmother's background, but her curiosity overwhelms her to the point of exploding.

"I have a question grandmother."

Yukariko suddenly gives her granddaughter a raised eyebrow.

"Go ahead, dear."

Kirie takes a deep breath before going down this familiar road once again.

"How was your relationship with Yuuko when you were young?"

"Why do you ask all of a sudden?" she questions just as quickly as her descendant asked.

"You never talk about her, but whenever I say something negative about her you get upset quickly. I would assume that if you were really close to her then you would talk about her a lot more than you do."

The atmosphere in the room goes silent as the two women don't look at each other for several moments. Yukariko eventually looks back at the girl and addresses her.

"Not today."

Something inside of the young Kanoe explodes. She can feel her temperature rising due to the ever-evasive actions of her elder.

"You always avoid the subject when I bring it up! Why won't you tell me anything? What don't you want me to know?"

The elderly woman looks her granddaughter in the face and shakes her head.

"It has nothing to do with you, that's why," she says as she slowly walks back in the direction from whence she came.

What is she hiding?

* * *

The young blonde covers his eyes as the sun's evening beams punish him for wearing his black suit. The roads are amazingly empty as he navigates himself past house after house, seeing the occasion child running around or a child and parent combo.

"If you'd like to come by for the wake, you're more than welcome to." The thought enters into his head, and he allows it to ring around his brain for a moment.

After his lengthy walk, he finally arrives at the traditional, two-story Japanese house. Its wooden brown exterior matches well with the trees surrounding it. His feet traverse the stone walkway up to the door. With flowers in his left hand, he uses his right to send vibrations through the wooden object. Moments later, the footsteps of someone approaching the door can be heard from the inside of the house. The sliding of the door makes his nervousness skyrocket as Kirie stands before him.

"Good evening, Teiichi. Come in," she says, stepping aside and making an opening for the blonde to navigate.

The inside of her house also has the look of the traditional Japanese home, but it contains two floors and has a very spacious living room. Before getting into the hallway, he drops his shoes and then proceeds to the living area where he can smell the burning of incense and the vibrant-colored flowers that adorn Yuuko's picture. Placing his flowers in front of the young woman's picture, he positions himself in the traditional prayer position and closes his eyes.

I hope everything goes well with you.

Raising his head from its position, the boy then turns his sight to Kirie, who is sitting next to the image of Yuuko with a stoic expression on her face. Teiichi's eyes suddenly scan around the house as if he has lost something.

"Forgive me for asking, but shouldn't your grandmother be here as well?"

Kirie looks over her shoulder towards the stairs, and then returns her glance to Teiichi.

"She's been in and out for the majority of the day. She should be back any minute now. Why do you ask? "

"I just thought that…."

As if on key, an elderly woman could be seen descending the staircase in her black kimono. Her expression is more saddened than Kirie's.

"Thank you for coming," she says as she places herself next to Kirie, giving the young man a bow.

"I'm really sorry for your loss. Your sister is a remarkable woman."

Teiichi's facial expression becomes more downcast as he realizes the tense in which he used. The heat under his shirt rises exponentially and he notices the annoyed look on Kirie's face, as well as the look of interest on the older woman's face.

"Why are you talking about my sister in the present tense? Can you see her, too?"

Teiichi pulls his collar away from his soaked skin, which released a portion of the heat onto his face. His eyes lock firmly onto the woman that had asked him the question.

"I can."

Yukariko's facial expression changes to one of confusion, not understanding the miscommunication between them.

"You can see that horrid form of hers, but yet you speak about her in positive manner? I don't understand you, young man."

At that moment, Teiichi notices a shadow move its way down the stairs. As it becomes more visible, his heart lightens up. He can clearly recognize Yuuko as she advances her way besides the boy and places herself next to him, delivering a grand smile.

"I missed you," she says, shoulder ramming the boy.

Teiichi's body creates a soft hammering noise as his weight hits the floor. Kirie's eyes narrow as she takes in the view of her relative coming down and causing a scene, even if her grandmother can't see her. Yukariko's facial expression changes to one of worry, as to her the boy just seemed to fall over out of nowhere.

"Are you okay, young man?"

Teiichi didn't expect the floor to hurt as much as it did, especially from such a light push. He straightens himself up and shoots the perpetrator a playful look, but then focuses his attention back on the hosts of the house with an apologetic smile.

"I'm okay. I just lost my balance for a second."

The room is filled with the sound of Yuuko's voice as she teases Teiichi, unbeknown to Kirie's grandmother. Kirie's blood begins to boil as she sees Yuuko sitting beside Teiichi, laughing as though this is just an ordinary gathering. Her hands slap the wooden floor as she hoist herself up.

"Excuse me," she says as she turns around.

The young woman stops in her tracks as she stares at the dark figure standing directly in front of her. Her body quivers as the shadow's eyes stare straight into her own. The other's occupying the room notice Kirie's sudden halt, and focus their attention onto her only to see Shadow Yuuko barring her way.

"Don't leave so soon," she says, motioning for her to sit back down, "Especially since everyone is here now."

Kirie's legs give out on her, causing her to tumble back on the floor towards her guardian. Shadow Yuuko focuses her eyes in the direction of Teiichi and makes her way to the boy's location. Standing in front of Yuuko, she extends her hand to the girl.

"Teiichi is here. You said earlier that you would accept everything if he was at your side. Did you not?"

"What are you talking about, Yuuko? Who are you talking to?" Yukariko's voice interjects.

"Don't worry about it. I'm just thinking out loud."

Yuuko's happy mannerisms have long disappeared since the appearance of her other self. Her fingers grasp parts of her school uniform in nervousness. She keeps her eyes away from staring into the burning jewels of the woman questioning her.

"I just want... a little more time. Please."

Teiichi looks at his friend's demeanor and is speechless. The shadow's outstretched appendage curls one finger at a time as Yuuko finishes her sentence. The trembling hand of the apparition standing before them causes everyone to focus on her even harder.

"You're just as bad as her," she says dryly, "It's been sixty years… sixty years. I've watched you wonder the grounds of that school. You lock your memories away inside of me as though I'm the one that caused all of this. You forced this upon me because you couldn't deal with your issue… I didn't ask for this." The shadowy apparition drops to her knees and sobs. "I'm tired of this never ending torture that you've caused me!"

Teiichi's hand grasps Yuuko's as she is enthralled with the event that is unfolding in front of her. Her glimmering eyes stare into his concerned pupils.

I know I said I could do this... but I don't want to remember those memories, she thinks to herself, looking down at the boy's hand. Why don't they care how I feel?

"Please, Yuuko," the soft words leave Teiichi's lips.

As Teiichi's words enter into her ears, she feels her chest tighten. The indecision on how to handle this situation isn't making anyone happier, nor is it helping the situation. Her heart aches hearing the words that Shadow Yuuko conveys to her. It hurts knowing that if she doesn't do this, she will have lied to Teiichi. The worse aspect of it all is that she fears taking back that which she had thrown away for reasons unknown to her. Her eyes journey around the room to each person. Teiichi stares at her with a warm smile on his face, Yukariko's expression appears as if someone had died, and Kirie's is merely of incredible disbelief. Looking down at the sobbing girl in front of her, Yuuko holds back a tear.

I'm always thinking about others, is her final thought before she reaches over to the bawling young woman and places her head on her chest. Shadow Yuuko's tears stains her counterpart's uniform as her head pushes further against her bosom.

"Thank you," Shadow Yuuko whispers.

As the two get closer, a ripple effect distorts the boundary of their bodies. As Shadow Yuuko's body integrates into Yuuko's, the emission of a black gas begins to release from their body. When the shadow's entire body completely assimilates into Yuuko's, the darkened air slowly dissipates. As the last of the pollutant leaves the room, Teiichi moves closer to Yuuko and places a hand on her shoulder.

Yukariko and Kirie stare at the spectacle, both utterly speechless. The older Kanoe rubs her eyes to make sure that she isn't seeing illusions. From Yukariko's perspective, she only noticed her sister's darkened body suddenly shift into a different position, but now the dark aura to her form is no longer visible.

"Yuuko," Yukariko says after standing up and making slow strides to the girl. "Is that really you?"

An ear-splitting shriek reverberates through the air, causing everyone to clamp their hands over their ears. Yuuko's body cringes violently as she topples over, her long hair covering her face. Her hand grips the side of her head as it pounds profusely, her memories streaming into her brain like a train going at full speed. The incoming emotions and memories keep rummaging through her mind, causing her heart to endure the rapid increase and intensity of it pulsation. Tears flood the girl's face and her mind and body feel as though someone is constantly trying to rip her apart from the inside out. Teiichi collects himself and places his arm around the woman's back as the other two onlookers are quiet.

"Teiichi… help me…." she said, before her final memory forces its way into her mind.

"I'm right here, Yuuko," he says to her, pulling the girl's body closer to his own and fighting the sudden odor that was emanating from the her body.

A sudden burst of heat shoots through her body, baring down on her teeth so hard they felt as though she was going to break both her teeth and her jaw.

"Ah!" she shouts one more time as the burning sensation inside her body loses some of its destructive force, but houses its core in her chest.

Yuuko's body writhes as though she has just been set on fire and dropped from a tall building. Everything either hurts or burns, but to a lesser degree than when it started. Her vision, though distorted by the collection of tears, has a slightly red tint to it. The beating of her heart stays constantly erratic no matter how long she waits for it to drop. Moments pass as the silence in the room only brings awkwardness.

"Sister?"

That voice.

"Yuuko, are you alright?"

His voice.

"Yuuko?"

Her voice.

Suddenly, the air in the room grows heavier and more pungent. A swift feeling of dread causes everyone to focus their eyes on Yuuko. Not knowing what to expect out of the completely assimilated Yuuko, Kirie grabs her grandmother's arm and backs her away from the girl to the wall, while Teiichi focusing his full attention on Yuuko's trembling form.

TO BE CONTINUED….


	5. Yuuko's Heart

"Teiichi," Kirie advises as the dreadful feeling in the room only worsens, "I think you need to move away from her."

The fear inside of Kirie's constricts her heart, and roots her feet to the wooden floor. It threatens to take control of every sense she possesses, however; when she glances at Teiichi, he appears as though none of this has affected him. He seems unmoved and completely focused. Unknown to Kirie, the sudden shift in the atmosphere pokes and prods in the back of his mind. He's never felt a sensation like this before. It is so strong it causes the hairs on every inch of his body to stand to attention, his fight-or-flight responses exploding throughout his body, and the fear that soaks into him has disabled his ability to move his legs.

_Am I going to die tonight?_ Teiichi asks himself, attempting to move his legs but to no avail.

"This brings back the memories of when we met in that basement."

The elderly woman remains unaffected by the suffocating environment that the other Teiichi and Kirie are afflicted by. Her voice contains not an ounce of fright as she speaks to the being crouched on the floor. Kirie and Teiichi watch as Yukariko makes her way across to her sister and stops in front her, looking down on the girl with a soft expression on her face.

"I didn't… want to experience these feeling again," she says, planting her hands on the ground. "These nasty, hateful, and destructive emotions and memories… they hurt so much."

The trio watches on as Yuuko's body jerks when she attempts to stand upright, as though she doesn't have enough energy. The ghost's body appears to struggle to keep standing as she clutches her chest, and her breathing is rapid. Only Yukariko's pained-filled eyes can see the young woman's face that is stained with the droppings of tears, eyes that stained with pink, and hold much resentment. Yuuko raises her hand and places it on the woman's face, instantly making her body flinch due to the searing touch of her skin.

"Why… did you do… it," she manages to squeeze out still trying to compose herself.

"Leave my grandmother alone, you filthy thing!" she hears another woman's voice come from out of nowhere, causing her attention to break from her sister to Kirie.

Yuuko's glimmering eyes bore into Kirie's soul. Kirie's face contorts in even more fear as she realizes that her unexpected words have drawn the attention of the once-cheery ghost in her direction. Her eyes tear up more as Yuuko closes the distance between herself and her new-found target.

_Move, damn it!_ Kirie shouts to herself in an attempt to motivate her body to loosen its grip on the floor.

Her efforts yield no results, as Yuuko is now standing directly in front of her. Her eyes are just like that of Shadow Yuuko's, but her expression seems to be in so much more pain. Kirie can tell this because of the tear-soaked skin and the random veins sticking out on her face.

"Tell me… why do you hate me so much?"

Her throat shuts like a vault. Her mouth suddenly becomes dry as she attempts to utter the words that the ghost wants to hear. Her heartbeat increases as she keeps trying to answer her ancestor's question.

"You're…. sel…fish."

"Kirie... be quiet!" Yukariko shouts.

"You've done… nothing but cause pain and… suffering to those around you," she begins. She wants to show courage and fire in her words, but the fire inside of Yuuko's body begins to rage even more. "Why did you have to come b…?"

Just before she finishes that last word, a monstrous thud shoots through the air. Kirie's body feels as though everything inside her body had just been crushed as she struggles to regain the breath that her lungs no longer housed. Seconds later, she comes to realize exactly what happened as she stares into the face of Yuuko while being pinned against the wall with her hands. Her eyes hold only immense anger, tears, and sadness. The smell coming off of her is enough to make Kirie gag. Yukariko tries to move toward her granddaughter, but stops after Yuuko shoots her an evil glance out of the corner of her eye.

"You make me sick," Yuuko says very dryly, "You hate that you resemble me. You hate that we belong to the same family. You hate the fact that I even existed, and YOU DON'T KNOW THE FIRST THING ABOUT ME!" Yuuko roars the last statement into the girl's ear causing her to cringe at the volume.

_Yuuko,_ Teiichi thinks to himself hearing the anguish in the young ghost's voice.

"I lived my life trying to help people. I did nothing but good, and I got murdered for it," the girl says venomously as the dark veins on her face begin to spread. "You people…who do nothing but assassinate my character, devalue everything I did, and blame me for everything that goes wrong... you should to die!"

"YUUKO! STOP!" Teiichi shouts as he finally is able to overcome the fear that is housed within him.

The boy gets up and races over to the scene of the heated moment. He places his hands on Yuuko's arm and tries to pull her away, but a raging pain shoots through his arm, causing him to jump back in pain. He looks up at her and can see the pain and hurt in her eyes as tears roll down her pale skin. He places his arm around the girl from behind and tries to pull her off once again.

Both of the children can feel themselves beginning to fade from the amount of heat being shot into their bodies. Suddenly, their field of vision goes dark. Their consciousnesses feels displaced, as though they can still hear things in reality, they can also see and hear things in their minds. When their vision reappears, they find themselves in a bathroom, staring at two women. Teiichi and Kirie quickly realize that one of the women is Yuuko, and then it hit them that the other is Yukariko.

_As her sister's eyes begin to water, Yuuko pulls her sister into her chest and gives her a warm smile._

_"Are you afraid of the epidemic, sister?" Yukariko ask hesitantly, "Aren't you afraid… you may die?"_

_Yuuko strokes her sister's hair and gives her a nice hug._

_"I suppose so, but I can't worry about that right now. Fear isn't going to get us through this."_

_Yukariko looks into her sister's eyes and can see that she speaks only the truth._

_"You're so strong, sister," Yukariko says, resting her head on her sister's chest._

_"Don't let the fear take hold of you. I'll be here to protect you."_

The children's minds go blur away eventually returning to the black as it did before. They return in a scene with the two women sitting beside a mirror, the younger of the two combing the other girl's hair. They both seem so content being in each other's company.

_"What's the most precious thing to you," Yukariko asks, stroking the instrument through her sister's silky, black hair._

_"Why are you asking such silly questions?" Yuuko says happily, giving her sibling a giant smile, "You are, of course, my little sister. What's the most precious thing to __you__?"_

_"You are, sister," the girl answers immediately, giving her a hug, but the expression on her face appears long and downcast._

The image in their minds fades again, this time reconvening in a darkened room with lights flickering. One woman stands dressed in white, and Yuuko is standing behind her.

_"Yukariko!" she shouts as her voice echoes off of the walls._

_Suddenly, a group of strong hands seizes her all over and slams her to the ground. The person in the white dress turns around and points her finger at Yuuko._

_"Yuuko Kanoe… you are chosen to be the sacrifice!"_

_"Stop this, sister!"_

_"The villagers have unanimously agreed that you are the most fit to appease the god. Break her legs!"_

_Two men grasp her leg and extend it. Yuuko's eyes grow wide as she kicks, screams, and thrashes to free herself, while another of the men walks towards her carrying something heavy. The sickening crack of something shattering her bone and pushing it out of her skin almost sends the girl into shock. Blood stains litter the floor as the men grab her by her hair, limbs, and whatever else they are able to get a hold of. Her eyes focus forward to see the opening that leads down to the old shrine in the cave ahead. Yuuko's hands gyrate as she tries to claw free of her assailants. As she crosses paths with the woman in the white, she just looks at the stoic expression on the person's face from the side of the veil before being hurled down the flight of stairs. Her body hits the bottom steps with a sickening thud as her bad leg slams against the floor, resulting in her mind losing consciousness. As her vision returns, she can't refrain herself from trembling, but is able to pull herself upright to gaze up the stairs and at the person who is responsible for her pain._

_"Why are you doing this? I thought I was the most precious thing to you!"_

_"That's why I'm doing this," she says, walking away from the opening with the door shutting behind her._

_"Let me out of here, please!" she shouts desperately, reaching towards the door. Yuuko attempts to claw her way up the steps but is stopped by the sickening pain in her fractured leg. Her sobs get even louder as she places her head on the steps in defeat. "Somebody… anybody… help… me."_

The scene fades and returns in darkness.

_"I'm so… cold. I'm hungry. I stink. Everything hurts. I never… thought I would… die like… this."_

The scene fades black again and the two snap out of their daze. Teiichi's hold on the woman loosens to the point where he can't hold himself up. His knees pound the ground as tears stream down his face.

"When you said my love was a 'charade', I wanted to hurt you as much as though words stung me. I love all those special in my life with the utmost of my ability, and for you to even think that would make everything about me a lie."

Yuuko releases the girl from her grip and letting her body crumple under its weight. The enraged spirit stares down at the young woman's crying body without pity.

"You don't know the pain of being stabbed in the back by the one person you trusted most in this world," Yuuko says, her blood beginning to boil, "You don't know the pain of being maimed and murdered by a group of people, and have that one person be the one to lead them."

Yuuko's heart rate begins to increase, but as she continues her breathing slows, and then so does her heart. "You'll never know the torment I went through knowing that killing my sister was the way for me to find peace. When you walk the path I did, then you can judge me, but I never want to hear you tell me that my love is 'charade' again."

She then turns her attention away from Kirie and focuses it on her silent sister. "At least I can admit when I do love someone," she says casting a quick glance at Teiichi's quivering body before moving back to her sister.

Yuuko and Yukariko stand face-to-face with each other once again with the atmosphere of silence swirling around them violently. Yukariko, though not afraid of Yuuko, is unsure of how stable the woman is at this point, seeing that she just man-handled her granddaughter.

"Tell me why. Why did you betray me?" she asks, clutching her chest, "What did I do to you to make you hate me that much? How did you justify that?"

Yukariko's eyes shifts away from her sister's face as the flurry of question threaten to overwhelm her. She had always been ready for Yuuko to extinguish her life like she did to her, but never before had she wanted to have to stand before her and explain her actions. The older woman's stomach drops, not wanting to think back on such a dark period in her life.

"What would make you think that I was able to justify that? I wanted to be like you so badly. You were strong, righteous, and did whatever you had to do without hesitation. I deluded myself into believing that you would do whatever was best for the village, regardless of the cost."

Yuuko stares at her younger sister with unflinching eyes as she receives such her answer.

"I would never take someone's life the way that you and those men did."

"I know that! I made a grave mistake that I couldn't take back."

Yuuko narrows her eyes at that last statement.

"You call what you did a mistake? If I can remember correctly, you lured me into an ambush. Tell me the truth. Did you laugh when you heard you "strong" and "righteous" sister begging for her life?

The silence between the two commences yet again, however; it doesn't last long as Yukariko breaks down.

"You're horrible," she says, before sinking to the ground.

Yukariko's eyes brim over with tears as her hands grasp onto her sister's black attire. Teiichi and Kirie are now picking themselves up from the shock of experiencing the ghosts' memories. A dull pain still radiates in the boy's arms from when he had them wrapped around Yuuko's form, and while Kirie's head still pulsates from the impact of the wall, the crushing feeling on her body has been relieved. They both look up to see Yukariko on the floor, with Yuuko kneeling down before her.

"I want you to understand what you did."

"I understand it every single day that I live," she snaps grasping at the Yuuko's uniform harder. "I told the police what happened, but they didn't believe me. Even after that stupid ritual father killed himself, people kept dying, and there was no hope in this village," the younger sister's sorrow builds. "With you gone, mother gone, and father gone, I was all alone and suffering. I went to the cemetery to ask anyone for forgiveness for what I did, but I received none. I was so sick with myself that I constantly thought about suicide, but when you were on top of me in that basement, I was happy to pay you back with my life, but then you robbed me of that by running away," Yukariko stops for a moment to collect herself. "Seeing you every time I went to school hurt so much, but I decided that I had to live in hopes that one day you would take your vengeance and put me in a grave like I did to you."

Kirie and Teiichi stare on at the spectacle, completely speechless. Kirie can feel her heart breaking to pieces as her grandmother bore everything to Yuuko, but feels utterly helpless to do soothe the woman's soul. She is just learning, for the first time in her life, that her family even had these issues. Teiichi's mind races as he takes in everything he's heard.

_This is too tragic,_ he thinks to himself as he wipes his tears from his eyes.

The fire in Yuuko's heart pacifies slightly as she puts her hand on the woman's face. She can feel the sudden jerk from Yukariko as her touch seers her.

"If it's death by my hands that you desire, you shall never get it."

Yukariko feels like damn breaks inside of her as her sadness begins to turn into anger.

"You're a coward!" she shouts, venom encasing her words as is she's trying to provoke the young woman.

Yuuko uses her thumb to grip the woman's face and forcefully makes her look at her. As Yukariko eyes meet her sister, she notices that the resentment in her eyes has lessened.

"After all these years, you still haven't learned to look at the bigger picture and you still don't understand me crybaby," Yuuko says, pointing towards Kirie leaning against the wall that she found herself pinned to earlier. "If you died, what would happen to that girl?"

Yukariko doesn't answer the question, but just looks at her sister's red eyes. A sigh escapes the eldest daughter's lips as she releases her grip on her face.

"You call me a coward because I don't want to hand you the same fate that you gave me? You've seen me for all of this time, and think I've wanted you to suffer for what you did to me? I loved you more than I loved anyone else on this planet, that's why I couldn't kill you," she says causing the tears in Yukariko's face begin to run faster as she continues. "This pain… this hatred… inside of me has only eaten away at me and I'm tired of it. Do I hate you for what you did to me? Yes. Do I love you any less? No. Do I detest how I died? Yes, however; I do forgive you for what you…"

Suddenly Yukariko could feel something snap inside of her. It's as if a bridge had just collapsed under the weight over capacity.

"DON'T TELL ME YOU FORGIVE ME! I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING TO WARRANT FORGIVENESS FROM YOU! I COMMITTED A HEINOUS CRIME AND GOT NO PUNISHMENT FOR IT!"

Yuuko can feel the fires in her body extinguish a bit more as she takes the woman in a warm embrace. As her arms and legs enclose her sister, they don't cause any reaction to her to the woman's neck or head.

"What do you call how you are feeling? You've been harboring these feelings every day since then," she speaks softly nuzzling her sister head. "If I'm able to forgive you for what you did in the past, you should consider doing the same."

Yukariko's body feels as though everyone ounce of energy had just been sucked out of her. Her body just felt as though it was there.

"You're such a fool," Yukariko says as she pushes her face further into her sister's shoulder, letting loose a torrent of tears.

"I know we are," Yuuko replies, letting go of the last bit of anger that was left inside of her heart. But still... something feels amiss to her.

* * *

The atmosphere of the once chaotic living room has returned to normal under the shroud of the night. Teiichi looks at Kirie and her grandmother with a smile on his face, though inside he had mixed feeling on who this outcome benefited. Kirie's head, though slightly irritated, is doing better, and Yukariko, while still reeling from the encounter with her sister, feels as though a vice has been removed from her heart.

"You should have told me about what happened grandmother," Kirie says to her, stroking her hair. "We could have worked through that together."

"You may be right," she answers, not shifting her eyes from the floor.

"You know...Yuuko's scary when she is mad, but I deserved everything I got," Kirie says, rubbing her head. "I was a bitch to her majority of the time," she adds breaking her attention away from her grandmother and scanning the room. "Speaking of which, does anyone know where she went?"

Teiichi and the others pan their eyes around the living room in unison, along with the upper level of the house as though they can see it through the walls. As they visually search, no one sees a sign of where she was or where she may have gone. Standing up, the three begin their search for the missing Yuuko. The women examine all the rooms upstairs while Teiichi examines the rooms downstairs. Minutes later, they all reconvene in the living area, but only bearing the news that no one could find her. A light bulb goes off in Kirie's head as she hits her hand with her fist.

"I have an idea," she says, leading Teiichi to the backdoor of the house.

Kirie slides the door open, letting the rays of the moon waltz its way inside. The duo step out onto the back porch and are met with the gift of the wind across their faces and bodies. Casting their vision over by the sakura tree, the children can see the silhouette of the raven-haired Yuuko sitting on the swing rocking back and forth with no enthusiasm. They advance towards the young woman, but as they traverse the stone path they can swear they hear the sound of weeping in the wind. The wind increases its strength as the duo tries to move even closer to the girl, but freeze when they hear terrible words flutter in the wind.

"I should have become Akahito."

A thin object departs the ghost's grip by the might of the wind. The object's motions are random as the wind carries it in every direction that it can before it finally smacks against Kirie's leg and becomes still. The young woman reaches down removes the item from her leg and brings it to her face.

TO BE CONTINUED….


	6. Dreamer

"This is really bad, Teiichi," Kirie says, handing the boy the piece of paper.

Teiichi takes hold of the flapping piece of material and holds it up to his eyes. As his brain scans over the document line-by-line, uneasiness begins to set its tent within him.

_I find myself working harder to prove my mother wrong about the villagers...I confident that nothing will stop me from furthering my education. Will my white knight show up before I leave the village? i hope so. _

Teiichi's arms drop as he finishes reading the well-written document. Continuing his walk into the veil of darkness towards the document's author, Teiichi can confirm that there is indeed the sound of sniffling coming from the individual they had sought after. As he stands beside the girl on the swing set, his heart feels as though a weight sits on top of it. Yuuko's bangs hide everything about her face, except portions of her pale skin.

"What is it, Teiichi?"

The young man's heart jumps, startled by the quick question that she asked him.

"We didn't know where you were… so we came to check on you," he stumbles out, scratching his head.

"I'm doing fine," she says, snapping at the boy.

As his lips turn upwards, his facial expression appears as though he just tasted something sour.

_You're definitely not fine_, he thinks to himself. _Not at all._

His thoughts being to flash through his mind as he realizes that he hasn't seen her act this cold and distant towards him since the time she tried to push him out of her life. An image of the crying and sulking Yuuko invades his memory, but he quickly shakes it out, focusing only on the being in front of him.

"Your letter was well written, and I can tell you put your heart into it."

The night-time wind makes its way through the area, causing the paper in the boy's hand to flutter and the girl's hair to wave at him. Yuuko's face never appears from behind her hair, and Teiichi just continues to stare at her suspended body.

"Thanks. It's not like it means very much right now."

Teiichi is once again taken aback by the young ghost's negativity, all while a thunderous roar rips through the air and the light of the moon is slowly devoured by a body of clouds. The blonde reaches his hand out to the girl and leaves it in her proximity.

"It's about to rain. How about we go back inside?"

"I'm not going back in there," she says, pushing his hand away.

Droplets of rain touch down at random places while he stares at the girl in disbelief, unable to understand why she wouldn't take his hand.

"Let's stop playing around, Yuuko," he says with a smile on his face.

"I said... I'm not going back in that house," she quickly answers with a bit more venom in her words.

A firm hand touches Teiichi's shoulder in unison with the increase in the falling of the water.

"Teiichi, it's beginning to get worse. We really need to head inside."

The crack of thunder booms through the sky as Kirie stares worriedly at Teiichi. Meanwhile, Teiichi focuses his gaze only on the moody ghost.

"Stop acting like this, Yuuko," he blurts out in a barely audible tone.

"What am I acting like?" she asks, turning her head slightly to reveal her dark red eye from between her strands of hair. "Tell me how I should be acting right now."

Teiichi flinches for a second upon seeing her in such a serious manner. His heart starts to race and his clothing gets drenched in the downpour after seeing that ominous eye of hers. The girl sitting on the swing turns her head to face forward with her body, letting her wet hair hide her face again.

"After so many years you just ended your grudge against your sister. You should be ecstatic, right?"

Kirie steps away from Teiichi as Yuuko stands up from the swing's seat. Her feet splash in the miniature pool of water before him. Standing in front of the young man, she reaches down and embraces him. Teiichi's face blushes as her chest pushes against his.

"Please leave," she whispers in his ear, the rain still beating down on them.

Teiichi stares up at the cloudy sky, the falling of rain only getting worse.

"What's wrong, Yuuko?"

Teiichi can feel his body move backwards on its own all of the sudden, slow to register that Yuuko has just shoved him away from her.

"Please just go," she says, hiding her face behind her wet hair.

Kirie's hands firmly lock down on the blonde's arm, pulling him back towards the door. Seeing his girlfriend on the ground like that, specifically after his attempts at fixing the situation, make him take what Kirie is dishing out. The two make their way into the door located on the back porch, and soon they are both inside.

"I can't leave her out there like that, Kirie," he says surely.

Kirie's hand grasps Teiichi's arm firmly, dragging him towards the direction of the living area.

"Keep your voice down, Teiichi," she says, putting her hand by her mouth to condense the noise. "You're not helping her by standing in the rain, possibly getting sick."

Suddenly, Yukariko's voice rings out from behind the two of them, very curious and worried. "Did you find her?"

Yukariko's eyes give away the feeling of concern, and she notices the two dripping water onto the wooden floor. Their eyes dart around the room as though it can make them invisible to her question.

"Yes, but it would be wise if we left her alone right now," Kirie tells her grandmother.

"Why?"

Kirie, as much of a detective as she is, allows the gears in her brain to move forward.

_Why wouldn't she want to be in here again?_ Kirie's brain speeds up its thought process in an attempt to cover the various reasons why her relative would rather be alone in her current environment. _Where did she get that paper from,_ she thinks to herself before an idea pops into her head, and she shifts her attention back to her grandmother.

"Is this the house you grew up in?" she asks frantically.

"Yes."

"I should have thought about this before," she says, motioning for the other two to follow her before heading to the staircase.

The trio's weight causes each step to creak one by one as they ascend to the second floor of the building. Upon reaching the top, Kirie walks to the room that contains Yuuko's body and slides it open. As Kirie leads the charge, she flips the light switch upwards, giving the room the much needed illumination to accurately see around. Their faces all light up in surprise as they see papers littering the floor from each corner of the room, as though raiders had come through looking for anything of value. From the tear marks that race along the outer hull of it in every direction, the box that appears to have housed all of these relics seems to have been torn apart by a rabid animal.

"What happened here?" Teiichi asks, still trying to estimate the amount of trash that litters the room.

"Is this where you put her body?" Kirie asks, ignoring Teiichi's question and gazing around the room.

"Yes, but I thought you already knew that. We always bring the dead home for a last stay."

"I suppose it slipped my mind," she says as her feet cause the papers under her to crumple and speak.

"I saw her in going through this stuff, but I didn't take the time to actually see what it was she was reading," the sleuth informs them as she reaches down and flips over a dirtied piece of paper.

"So you knew she was here the whole time?" Yukariko asks the granddaughter with a note of anger in her voice.

"Yes. I didn't want to see you get upset anymore than you already were," Kirie replies, shifting her attention from the contents in her hand briefly to address her.

The sounds of bodies moving across the paper envelop the room as the two women try to focus on the main reason they are there.

"Here's a fifth-grade report card," Kirie says while scanning it, "She made the best grades possible."

Not long after Kirie makes her discovery, Teiichi bends down to retrieve a document and gives it a closer inspection.

"Here's one from the eighth grade," he says, glancing over the form, "Best grades possible on this one as well."

Another document ends up before Kirie's eyes, which causes the girl's brain to release smoke.

"In the sixth grade as well. Did she ever bring home even a single bad report card?"

"I don't recall anything like that," Yukariko answers, bending down and picking up one of the papers in the far corner.

"She never earned anything less than the best in her classes," Yukariko adds, turning over an image of her sister standing next to their father and holding up a ribbon.

Kirie flips over a couple of pictures featuring Yuuko striking multiple poses, all while possessing several ribbons and certificates.

"What couldn't she do?" Kirie asks with a hint of frustration.

"I don't recall… her being bad at anything, really, but our parents always had to make her try extra circulars," the older woman says, choking back some tears as she flips through a picture of her and Yuuko standing in front of the sakura tree, Yuuko messing with the younger sister's hair.

"Excuse me…" she says, and she gets up and heads to the door.

Kirie interprets the tone of grandmother's "Excuse me" to be one of sadness, so she quickly stops what she's doing and makes a move towards the exit.

"I'll be back, Teiichi."

The two women exit the room, leaving Teiichi alone to sort through more of Yuuko's personal belongings. While the boy scavenges around, he discovers more and more stuff that he never dreamed any one person could have possibly accomplished.

Certificates of excellence, academic awards, participation awards, and stellar report cards... she had it all. _Who was the girl_, he thinks as his head begins to feel dizzy from the disbelief. He puts his hand down to catch himself, and realizes that what is under his hand is hard. Bringing it to his face, he sees the words 'Yuuko's Diary' on it. _Would I be invading Yuuko's personal space too much if I read this_, he thinks, causing him to question his next course of action. Removing himself from the floor, he flips the switch downward and extinguishing the light of the room, shutting the door behind him.

Teiichi slowly heads back down the stairs, his eyes and thoughts completely focused on the book that is in his grasp. After finding himself standing on non-descending wood, he breaks his concentration from it and looks up to Kirie and Yukariko sitting on a couch. Reaching his hand outward, he reveals the diary that he had found under the rubble upstairs.

Kirei removes the object from Teiichi's possession and gives it thorough observation, which indicates to her that this diary belonged to Yuuko.

"Did you wait until we left to sneak a peek?" Kirei asks, giving him a dirty look.

His face turns a shade of pink and he shakes his head to the older woman's question.

"Good. Guys shouldn't read stuff like this," she says, turning towards her guardian. "Do you mind if I go through this a little? It may help us figure out something."

"What are you trying to figure out by reading her diary," the guardian speaks in confusion.

"Yuuko may have cleared up her grudge against you, but quelling that anger and hatred has opened door for her to realize her regrets. The items we found upstairs helped, but I'm sure there could be something more concrete in here." As she says this, she pats the object in her possession.

"Okay, but be careful what you read," she says without much thought.

Her granddaughter cracks open the memoir and scans over each page, trying not to go too deep into the writings of the owner. Her eyes halt on the current page as she straightens herself on the couch, opening her mouth to read the lines aloud.

_May 23rd_

_This makes the fifth guy this week that has hit on me. The attention is nice, but they could at least make the effort to look me in the face. Are there no pigs in this village? I only need there to be one guy that has some decency, but perhaps that's asking for too much. They are just guys, I suppose. I'm sure sex is the only thing rampaging through their thick skulls. I really hope Yukariko doesn't have to go through this nonsense when she gets this age…_

"Seems like she was pretty popular back then," Teiichi says, a little annoyed by the entry.

"Have you seen her? I would be surprised if she wasn't," Kirie adds.

"Even though the guys wanted to talk to her, she never gave them a chance. She'd always say 'they're just after my body' and laugh."

The sound of the paper peeling off of its neighboring page occupies the air as Kirie's thumb navigates the dairy once again. Her constantly moving eyes scan to find anything that could be of use to their cause, and stumbles upon another entry a few days later.

_June 2nd_

_Today was pretty exciting. I should have worn something on my legs when I helped these children get the ball that rolled into the bushes. I remember Father telling me about those plants, but I never thought they made you itch so much. It hasn't been four hours and I'm forming a rash. At least I was able to get their ball for them. I'm sure they wouldn't be taking this as well as I am. I'll have to make sure to stay away from Yukariko and the others until this goes away. Come to think of it, I need to study my biology._

"I never understood how she could throw herself into the fray like that," Yukariko says, shaking her head.

"She was quite eager to help, even if she was reckless," Kirie says.

"I don't think consequences meant too much to her," Teiichi comments.

The granddaughter's thumb pushes past the pages in an attempt to make it to the end of the book. Her eyes once get gets captivated, but this time her heart jumps as she thinks she can end their search on this entry.

_August 14th_

_Mother and I bonded in the backyard under the tree. It was unexpected, since she was already not feeling well from having a cold. She asked me what my plans were after I finished school. I told her about my plans on going to the university and becoming a nurse or doctor. Like all parents, she had to ask about having kids. I have always been stuck on whether to have two or three. One would be lonely without a sibling, after all. Though her questions felt genuine, I knew that there was something she wanted to say. I was surprised to find out she wanted me to stop helping out as much as I did. Initially I thought it was her dislike for most of the villagers, but it seemed as though she was genuinely worried. She told me "no matter how nice you are to these people, under the right situation they will crucify you without a second thought." To ease her mind, I promised her that I would do everything I set out to do and live a long, happy life. By the look in her eyes, I don't think she believed me._

The chirping of the crickets, along with the aggressive pounding from outside, lightens the dark and depressing tone set by the last entry Kirie read. Words seem to be lost amongst everyone's emotions, and soon Kirie closes the book and releases a minuet cough, dust getting in her throat.

_That was… I don't know what to say,_ she thinks to herself, placing the book on the floor.

At this point it had been minutes since the reading, but not a single word had been uttered by the occupants of the house. Kirie claps her hands in the air, breaking the silence in the room as Yukariko and Teiichi both snap out of their daydream.

"We are supposed to be figuring out how to help Yuuko, you two. We can't allow ourselves to sit around and mope." Kirie looks at the two with a slight hint of frustration. "Grandmother, do you mind if Teiichi and I speak alone for a minute?"

Yukariko nods her head and removes herself from the couch.

"While you two talk, I'll go upstairs and clean up the mess," she says with little enthusiasm in her voice.

"Are you sure you're up for that," Kirie asks, concerned.

"I can handle it," Yukariko answers as she heads to the stairs.

Kirie watches her grandmother disappear to the second floor before returning he glance at Teiichi and opening her mouth.

"This is my summation of the situation, Teiichi. She's been around for roughly seventy years, but we'll take out the first ten since most people can't remember those. Out of sixty potential years, she's had a relatively decent existence for five of those," the detective says as her body begins to shiver. "When she was chewing me out, I don't know if it was a freak incident or she did it on purpose, but I could swear I was seeing her memories."

"The same thing happened to me," Teiichi interjects with minimal enthusiasm in his voice.

"If that's actually what happened, I can see why grandmother would want to keep that to herself, because that was brutal and terrifying," Kirie says, letting a tear run down her face. "I don't think I could have wished that upon my worst enemy."

She wipes the tear from her face and continues. "Not soon after that, she refused to kill grandmother and split herself off into two people. During that sixty year gap she had no interaction with anyone... until us, that is."

"You make it sound a lot worse, Kirie."

"Unfortunately, it gets worse, because now we are in our current situation. Yuuko is the old Yuuko again, with all of her memories."

"She said she wanted to get her memories back," he retorts wholeheartedly.

"You're only looking at one part of this," Kirie says, dropping herself on the couch. "Think for a second. How often did we tell her she should remember her past, or it was for her own good, or something of that nature? Before she merged with Shadow Yuuko, I could see that she didn't want to do it because of the hesitation and looks she was giving us."

"I didn't notice that at all," Teiichi adds, holding his head down in disappointment of himself.

"So now we ask ourselves the question. What exactly is Yuuko Kanoe?"

Teiichi eyes rise in confusion at the wording Kirie decided to use.

"Don't you mean who?"

"I said what."

"She's the girl outside…"

"Go and prove that to everyone," she says, waving her index finger in a circle. "When you ask someone about Yuuko in this village, your primary response is going to be 'that silly ghost story'. After everything she's done and gone through, all she amounts to is a 'silly ghost story'. So, lover boy, what are you going to do about it?"

"I don't know," he says honestly, staring at the floor as she eyes him curiously.

* * *

The crash of thunder roars through the air in the company of the midnight rain. The falling water pounds on the earth and the body of the young girl sitting beside the sakura tree on the once-dry bed of grass. The taller blades around her assist the water in dampening her clothes and her pale skin. Her body shivers from the cool touch of the storm's water chilling her to her core, but she makes no effort to change her situation.

_What a life_, she thinks, moving her trembling hand in the air and slowly observing how her skin clashes with the darkness of the night.

"This was all one big joke. One… really... sick… joke," she says, slamming her first to the ground and splashing upwards, staining her already wet arms.

She can feel a tingle in her chest as the raindrops slips into her eye, causing her to blink.

"How long does it take for me to disappear from this world? I cleared my grudge, why am I still here?"

She examines the door to the house and slowly runs her eyes along the brown, wooden exterior, ending up at the window of her room. Another lightning flash illuminates the window, revealing Teiichi's figure and the sudden appearance of a light in her room. The girl just stares on as the image within her window disappears.

"I can't believe I destroyed the room like that," she says as her face doesn't change from its downcast expression. "They're probably flipping through all of my report cards and thinking 'she was nerd.'" She lets out of a small chuckle at the thought.

Another flash of lightning cuts through the sky, showing Teiichi walking out of her room. At that moment, she recalls a time when she had helped him with a test, after he had missed so many easy questions.

"How does he expect to get into a good school like that? He misses so many of the easy problems. If that were me I could have blown through..." She stops herself mid sentence before dismissing the thought.

Yuuko repositions herself to learn against the tree on her side. It is as though she's about to sleep, her arms clutching each other and water still pouring onto her head.

"_They will crucify you without a second thought,_" a voice plays out in her mind. "_They will crucify you…_"

"I guess she was right," she says, curling more into a ball. "They didn't care about my desire to have a family, my desire to be loved, or anything I cared about. They just cared about themselves."

As the water rolls down her face she adds, "I should have lived my life completely different."

At that moment, she can hear the door to the house open and close behind her. The sound of feet slapping the wet stones of the yard makes her cringe as they get closer to her location.

_Why did he come back out here_, she thinks, not wanting to turn around to address the person in question.

While she listened to the crinkling of clothing, she notices that the water that was once assaulting her pale body has stopped, though she can clearly see it pounding the ground in her vicinity. The silence between the two people goes on for a few minutes before she hears the sound of something hitting the water, and then slamming up against the sakura tree. Another lightning strike shoots across the sky, illuminating the area while the sound of the rain hits the earth.

"Do you want to talk about it now?"

Teiichi's voice cuts into her ear, calm and gentle as always.

"What will talking about it do?" she spits back at him.

Teiichi lets out a sigh.

"Do you remember the time when you asked me if I would die for you? Well, I'm hoping this will answer your question."

The silence between the two goes on, interrupted by the sound of her body turning over to look at the young man holding an umbrella over her. The black top contrasts with the metal tip and metal handles.

"What do you think you're doing?" she says, wiping her eyes.

"I'm trying to have a conversation with my moody girlfriend," he says, pointing to her with his free hand. "You're going to catch a cold if you stay out here for too long." He ends with a smile.

"I'm fine out here," she says, still wiping the water from her face.

"If you're fine then why are you crying? I get that you're upset, regrets can be hard, but there's not much you can do."

"STOP TRIVIALIZING IT! What have you ever lost, Teiichi? Huh?!"

The boy stares at his girlfriend's pale face and can see the water rolling down her face once again, her expression becoming angrier.

_This is going to hurt_, he thinks, readying himself for the upcoming event.

"You're right. I haven't lost anything big in my life. Why don't you kill me and then…."

Teiichi doesn't finish his sentence before he feels his head jerk to the side and a sensation as though he has just been stung by a nest of wasps. His vision blurs a bit before he's able to shake it off, but his cheek pulsates heavily.

"Don't ever tell me to do that again," she says dryly.

"I'll take that… for making you remembers your past." He lets out a small chuckle, holding his hand over her his cheek.

"That's not funny!" she yells as she gets and begins to walk away, but Teiichi grabs her by the wrist, halting her movement.

"I'm sorry," he apologizes, giving the older teen a slight bow but not letting go of her hand. "I'm begging you to talk to me."

Yuuko turns around to the boy and stares at him with her red, menacing eyes.

"Look at me, Teiichi," Yuuko says, motioning with her hands for him to examine her. "I'm Yuuko Kanoe, the ghost of the old school building. I was smart, pretty, athletic, generous, and so much more and look at me now!"

She says that in an exasperated tone, releasing a saddened laugh. "What do I have to show for my existence? Ghost stories that demonize me, emotions and feelings I want to discard, and not a single life accomplishment achieved."

"What about me? I'm a life accomplishment... aren't I?"

"You're different."

Teiichi brings down his umbrella and places the tip on the ground. Using it as a cane, he looks at the young woman.

"If you were in my shoes, how would you handle this situation?"

The drenched girl looks on at the point. Her eyes dart away from him due to the length of her thought process.

"I'm not sure."

Teiichi picks up the girl's hand and looks into her red eyes with no fear at all.

"I want you to haunt me."

Yuuko's eyes widen in shock as his words catch her off guard. She jerks her hand away from his and looks at the boy in disbelief.

"No."

The young blonde cocks his head to the side, not expecting her to turn him down on that request.

"Why not?"

"Do you know what you're asking?"

"Yes,"he answers readily and with no hesitation.

"You don't know what kind of effect that may have on your body or anything."

"I don't care. I want to do everything I can to help you."

Yuuko's chest began to tighten, and the thought of haunting Teiichi begins to play out in her head. Different possibilities and choices twist and turn before the girl's eyes, causing her to put her hand over her heart.

"I'd rather fade away."

Teiichi's lips turn upright, the woman's choice to disappear making his heart-rate rise slightly.

_Round two_, he thinks before opening his mouth.

"You'd rather fade away, and leave me here to do what? Commit suicide?"

A thunderous smack comes down to the other side of Teiichi's face, resulting in his knees getting wet from getting knocked to the ground.

"Stop saying crazy stuff like that," she says after removing her hand from the younger teens face, trying to hold back a weak cry, "And stop trying to guilt trip me."

_Her hand is so heavy,_ he thinks as the tears running down his face mix in with the precipitation.

Teiichi straightens up, puts his hand on his freshly wounded cheek, and stands tall against his attacker. Once again, he stares her in the eye without fear.

"That's how much you mean to me. Over the past year, I've experienced so much from being with you. I can't see myself without you."

Yuuko stares at her boyfriend, not wanting to reveal her weakness to him.

"You're thirteen years old. You don't know what you want. There will be other girls that catch your attention, and your love will shift elsewhere."

"You're speculating, Yuuko," he says, rubbing his eyes.

"People change, Teiichi. You may love me now, but who's to say that one, two, five years down the road you won't think I'm around too much?" the girl sniffs as she shivers harder from the cold rain. "You may even wake up one morning and realize that you hate to see my face next to you, and I don't want that."

"You don't know what you're saying."

"You've already done it before!"

Teiichi recalls the time when they were the classroom and he was feeling smothered by Yuuko's increased clinginess.

"We don't have to be around each other all the time, Yuuko," he says, laughing until a thought burst through the walls of mind.

Teiichi tosses the umbrella onto the soggy earth and walks up to the Yuuko. His advance makes her feeling in her chest get even tighter, and the look in his eye shows no sign of fear.

"What are you so afraid of, Yuuko? Could it be that you're afraid of getting hurt by me now that you have your memories back?" Teiichi asks, his eyes begging for her answer.

Yuuko just stares at the boy and doesn't answer.

One more push

"Maybe we should break up. That way you won't have to worry about being hurt by me and you can go back to being the lonely ghost that you were before we met," he says, giving her another serious look.

Yuuko's heart begins to hammer uncontrollably at the prospect of reverting back to her previous state. Her body starts to shake even more as the thought of her being locked away in darkness and wandering the earth alone fills her mind. Another streak of lightning shoots across the sky, breaking the girl's daydreaming and bringing her back to reality.

"I don't want to be alone again," she says, looking at the boy with softened, glimmering eyes. "But I don't want to get hurt again, either."

Teiichi puts his hand up for Yuuko to grab. Looking into her eyes, he gives her a smile before asking her an important question.

"Which one are you more afraid of?"

* * *

Teiichi closes the door to his house and pulls off his shoes, before making his way into the hallway.

"I'm home!" he shouts, but deathly silence is the only answer he gets.

His feet glide across the wooden floor as he makes his way up the wooden stairs. He enters into his bedroom, glancing over at the television, hanging wall scrolls, and then out of the window. The rain for today had been a monster, never letting up even for a second.

"At least the funeral service went well," he says, throwing his clothing in his dirty clothes hamper before showering.

Coming out of the shower, Teiichi dries off and puts his night clothes on before getting in the bed. Teiichi lays down, staring at the bland ceiling as if waiting for someone to come falling through his ceiling, but no matter how long he waits, nothing happens. During the whole time, he can feel his consciousness begin to slip into the realm of dreams, and soon his eyes close, taking him to his next destination. .

Teiichi body twists and turns in his sleep as he fights off the nasty images that his subconscious is pitting him against. Sweat rolls down his face, and the dreams become more intense. His violent movements begin to cease as a pale hand caresses the boy's forehand, wiping away the sweat he had produced. His eyes snap open to see a raven-haired girl sitting above his head, staring back at him with her glimmering red eyes.

"I thought you left for good," he says, giving her a smile.

Yuuko leans over and presses her lips against her boyfriend's forehead, releasing a smooching noise. She resets herself to the upright position and plays with Teiichi's hair some more.

"I couldn't just leave you,"

Teiichi's heart bursts into flames of joy as he maneuvers himself away from her, enough to grab the covers and hold them in the air, revealing an empty cavern.

"Will you please join me?"

Yuuko readily stands up, removing her red neckerchief and exposing a bit of her cleavage. She slides her body into the opening Teiichi created and they stare at each other. He releases a giant yawn before putting his arm around Yuuko.

"You know I don't sleep... right, Teiichi?".

Teiichi stares at the female ghost and strokes a hand through her silky, black hair.

"Try your best to, and I'll tell you a story," he says, giving the pale woman a kiss on the forehead. "The name of this story is called Princess Yuuko and her White Knight."

THE END

**A/N: I want to thank**** JustAnotherGirlInTheWorld**** for beta reading my chapters, and you the reader for showing interest in my tale. I hope to see you for my next Dusk Maiden of Amnesia tale, The Sister That Once Loved.**


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